CATONSVILLE, Md. — County officials are turning the page and cutting the ribbon on a newly renovated Catonsville library.
The library reopened Wednesday morning after being closed for a year and a half.
“So, this is truly a community hub, where all residents of Catonsville can gather to explore, learn, create, and connect,” said Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, CEO, of Baltimore County Public Library.
Hundreds gathered on Frederick Road in front of the redesigned building. They were all anxious to get inside and check out some books.
Marion Brown, who found a quiet corner to sit, read one of the books she got.
"This is in good walking distance; that's why I'm so glad it's open again,” said Brown. "Because it's close to home. And it's gorgeous.”
Emily Wright has lived in Catonsville for more than 40 years. She came to the library as a child with her mom. Today, they came with her three boys. They selected books and had fun in the library's new history room. "We attend programs here,” Wright said.
“And we like the community aspect. We're homeschoolers, so we'll bring school books here. We'll do a lot of different things here and use the resources here."
$7,000,000 went into updating the 60-year-old library. The updates include a new computer center, laptop bar, teen room, history room, and recording studios. Catonsville is the only county library to have them, and they're free.
"We paid homage to the past and our history here because that's really important here in Catonsville,” stated Alcántara-Antoine. “But at the same time, we provided a fresh and modernized, and revamped experience for the community. We're really proud it."
The celebration continues through this weekend, with several activities planned at the library.
